Printing from iPad scaled instead of 100%

[Mtl_Biker]

Latest release version of Designer, on iPad Pro 12.5 (M1)... printing results in a scaled result instead of 100%.  Same document printed from MBAir (M1) to same printer, prints at 100% (and there is a scaling option... no scaling option or option to NOT scale on iPad).

Is this a known issue?  Any workaround?  (Other than using the Mac version.)

 

[SPaceBar]

Hi @Mtl_Biker Sorry for the delay in replying.

Does this happen with all documents that you print or just specific documents? I'm going to install my printer driver and give it a go but want to know if there is anything else that I need to consider before I do.

[SPaceBar]

Driver is installed on my Mac. Are you printing straight from Designer or are exporting the document first?

[Mtl_Biker]

46 minutes ago, SPaceBar said:

Hi @Mtl_Biker Sorry for the delay in replying.

Does this happen with all documents that you print or just specific documents? I'm going to install my printer driver and give it a go but want to know if there is anything else that I need to consider before I do.

I'm guessing that it happens with all documents... in other words, I can create a document in Designer with only a rectangle that I size to 3.5" x 4".  When I print that document from the iPad, it comes out 1/8" smaller in each dimension.  The same document, printed from Designer on my MB Air comes out exactly the correct size.  Same document, same printer.  Both devices are printing via AirPrint to the printer.

You talk about installing a printer driver... I don't see where/how that can be done on the iPad... when you click Print, it just finds the printer via Airprint.

To answer your second question (in your next post) I am printing straight from Designer and not exporting the document first.  But your question prompted me to try that...

I exported my document as a PDF and then printed it.  Perfect.  Exactly the right size.

So the "bug" remains... when printing the document from within Designer on the iPad, there is a scaling (reduced size) of the graphic.  Same document printed from with Designer on the MB Air results in accurate sizing.

 

[SPaceBar]

Hi @Mtl_Biker Thanks for the extra info and for trying exporting to PDF. That has ruled out a few things for me.

I was installing the print driver onto a new Mac that hasn't had a driver installed before. My iPad also just found the printer but as yet hasn't printed anything. I think that might be due to the fact that I created an A4 document. When I finally found the "Print Order" window it didn't seem to have an option for A4, only 4x6.

Once I have encouraged it to print I will compare my results and get back to you. 

[Mtl_Biker]

1 minute ago, SPaceBar said:

Hi @Mtl_Biker Thanks for the extra info and for trying exporting to PDF. That has ruled out a few things for me.

I was installing the print driver onto a new Mac that hasn't had a driver installed before. My iPad also just found the printer but as yet hasn't printed anything. I think that might be due to the fact that I created an A4 document. When I finally found the "Print Order" window it didn't seem to have an option for A4, only 4x6.

Once I have encouraged it to print I will compare my results and get back to you. 

Thank you for looking into this.

I'm not quite understanding why you need to install a printer driver on your Mac, or really why you're using a Mac at all...

I too have a new Mac (MB Air, M1) that I'd never used to print anything.  I was using only my iPod Pro (12.9" M1) with Designer and needed to print a document out for the first time with it.  Using Designer.  I printed, found the size was wrong (this was a template that I'd designed to be used for cutting out some leather) and couldn't understand it.  It was only then that I tried to print the same document from the MBAir.  And it printed perfectly.  So you really only need to create a document on the iPad and print it, in order to see (hopefully) the problem.

By the way, I first noticed this issue at home, using a brand new Brother laser printer.  Now I'm at work, and tried it with a different Brother laser AND with an Epson printer (all via AirPrint) and the same thing happens.  But exporting the document first as a PDF and printing that does result in the correct scaling (100%).  (In no case was I prompted to install a printer driver for any of the printers on the iPad.)

 

[SPaceBar]

I was installing the driver as you compared the sizes of your printouts and because it was on my list of things to do today anyway. 

I'm not currently able to AirPrint from the app yet but have managed to print the document from Files after I exported it as a PDF. While it doesn't seem necessary to print from the desktop app it might help to rule out the printer driver as the issue if it's ok from one source and not from another. 

[Mtl_Biker]

1 minute ago, SPaceBar said:

 

I was installing the driver as you compared the sizes of your printouts and because it was on my list of things to do today anyway. 

I'm not currently able to AirPrint from the app yet but have managed to print the document from Files after I exported it as a PDF. While it doesn't seem necessary to print from the desktop app it might help to rule out the printer driver as the issue if it's ok from one source and not from another. 

Weird.  That you could print the PDF via the Files app but not from the Designer app.  I mean, if the Files app can see/find the printer then Designer should also.  I'm much more a PC guy than Mac/iPad but I was surprised at how smoothly and easily I was able to print from the iPad via AirPrint.  No installation of anything was required.  It just worked.

By the way, I'm a long time Photoshop and Illustrator user, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the Affinity Designer and Photo apps.  Kudos to you all!
 

[SPaceBar]

Glad the process was smooth. I installed printer drivers on both Mac & PC today and the Mac process was very smooth.

Can I ask what iOS your iPad Pro (12.9 M1) is on? 

[Mtl_Biker]

1 minute ago, SPaceBar said:

Glad the process was smooth. I installed printer drivers on both Mac & PC today and the Mac process was very smooth.

Can I ask what iOS your iPad Pro (12.9 M1) is on? 

I'm on 14.8 (since it came out) but this problem was there with the prior iOS whatever it was called, as 14.8 wasn't available yet when I posted this report.

 

[DM1]

15 hours ago, Mtl_Biker said:

Using Designer.  I printed, found the size was wrong (this was a template that I'd designed to be used for cutting out some leather) and couldn't understand it. 

What printer are you using? I found my Epson Photo printer had this issue but the replacement Epson printer that I purchased (an ET3700) had no such issue. It’s possibly related to the iOS print driver. An option is to use a printer app for your specific printer. The Epson iPrint app offers me more options than the iOS built in driver (but scaling is not offered).

[SPaceBar]

@Mtl_Biker Have you been able to Airprint from Designer iPad since you updated to 14.8?

[DM1]

1 hour ago, SPaceBar said:

Have you been able to Airprint from Designer iPad since you updated to 14.8?

If having issues, keep in mind that iPad and printer must be on same network to AirPrint. Modems offering auto switching 5ghz and 2.4ghz connections may result in ipad and printer on 5GHz and 2.4 ghz respectively (effectively different networks). I have had this happen 🙁

[SPaceBar]

I'm having mixed results at the moment @DM1 so I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions. I have managed to print from Files and Notability so far but not from Designer. My colleague is not having any luck printing anything.

[Mtl_Biker]

13 hours ago, DM1 said:

What printer are you using? I found my Epson Photo printer had this issue but the replacement Epson printer that I purchased (an ET3700) had no such issue. It’s possibly related to the iOS print driver. An option is to use a printer app for your specific printer. The Epson iPrint app offers me more options than the iOS built in driver (but scaling is not offered).

I used two different Brother laser printers (AirPrint enabled) as well as an Epson WF-4720.  I have not (and don't think you even can) installed any printer drivers on the iPad.  It just works "out of the box".

Is it even possible to "use a printer app for your specific printer" from within Designer?  I found the only workaround so far is to export my Designer document as a PDF file and then print it from the Files app, again using AirPrint to the same printer.  When I do that, the result is not scaled but prints at 100%.  If I print from within Designer, the result is reduced in scale.

 

[Mtl_Biker]

11 hours ago, SPaceBar said:

@Mtl_Biker Have you been able to Airprint from Designer iPad since you updated to 14.8?

Yes, no problem at all.  Other than for the resulting print being scaled down if I print from within Designer (iPad) but if I export as a PDF and print that from the Files app the result is not scaled.

 

[Mtl_Biker]

9 hours ago, DM1 said:

If having issues, keep in mind that iPad and printer must be on same network to AirPrint. Modems offering auto switching 5ghz and 2.4ghz connections may result in ipad and printer on 5GHz and 2.4 ghz respectively (effectively different networks). I have had this happen 🙁

That's an interesting observation, and in my case, the printer is on the 2.4ghz connection while the iPad is on 5ghz.  That's the same situation here at work as at my home.  And even so, printing the PDF through the Files app results in NO scaling of the result, while printing (the same document to the same printer) from within Designer results in scaling.

So I don't think that's the issue.

 

 

[Mtl_Biker]

9 hours ago, SPaceBar said:

I'm having mixed results at the moment @DM1 so I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions. I have managed to print from Files and Notability so far but not from Designer. My colleague is not having any luck printing anything.

I don't understand why you can't print from Designer.  Are you perhaps using a buggy not-yet-released beta newer version?

 

[SPaceBar]

On 9/17/2021 at 7:43 PM, Mtl_Biker said:

I don't understand why you can't print from Designer.  Are you perhaps using a buggy not-yet-released beta newer version?

 

Sadly no, I updated my own iPad to the latest retail version and the latest iOS. 

 

On 9/17/2021 at 7:37 PM, Mtl_Biker said:

Yes, no problem at all.  Other than for the resulting print being scaled down if I print from within Designer (iPad) but if I export as a PDF and print that from the Files app the result is not scaled.

 

Thanks for confirming this. I think it might be a router issue for me as I tested it on my home printer. I'll have a look at the router later. It's not the first time it's been sporadic.

[Mtl_Biker]

2 hours ago, SPaceBar said:

Sadly no, I updated my own iPad to the latest retail version and the latest iOS. 

 

Thanks for confirming this. I think it might be a router issue for me as I tested it on my home printer. I'll have a look at the router later. It's not the first time it's been sporadic.

When you say it might be a router issue, are you talking about why you have a hard time (sporadic) connecting your iPad to your printer?  Or are you thinking the router has something to do with the scaling of the print?

I'm just surprised that a company such as Affinity which has such fabulous products (and without question far greater resources than us mere users), isn't able to print from within Designer in order to see the issue I've been reporting.  Surely you've got advanced users of your products (or beta users) who could be called upon to test this.

If I understand correctly, up to this point you haven't even been able to print and confirm seeing the issue.  Meaning you haven't even begun to find out what the cause is or to fix it.

That's disappointing.

[walt.farrell]

I just tried this, using Designer on Windows and on my iPad.

I created a .afdesign letter-size document with a 3 x 4 inch rectangle centered on it, and printed. From Windows I got exactly what I expected. From the iPad the preview looked good but when printed I got a scaled version, with a 1 5/16 x 1 3/4 inch rectangle in the upper left quadrant of the sheet of paper.

Printer is an Epson ET-2550 with a wireless connection.

[Mtl_Biker]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

I just tried this, using Designer on Windows and on my iPad.

I created a .afdesign letter-size document with a 3 x 4 inch rectangle centered on it, and printed. From Windows I got exactly what I expected. From the iPad the preview looked good but when printed I got a scaled version, with a 1 5/16 x 1 3/4 inch rectangle in the upper left quadrant of the sheet of paper.

Printer is an Epson ET-2550 with a wireless connection.

Thanks for trying that, Walt.  I don't have a Windows machine with any Affinity programs on it... my Windows machines have PhotoShop and Illustrator.  I hate Adobe's subscription scheme and that's why I went with Affinity on the MacBook Air (M1) and iPad instead.  Probably don't have to repeat this, but printing from within Designer on the MacBook results in a perfect full-scale print.  As it appears to do from Windows thanks to your testing.  But on the iPad the result is scaled.  And there doesn't seem to be any way to control the scaling of the print.  And it's not like the document is larger than the paper size either, so it really shouldn't be scaled.  Exporting the document as a PDF from iPad Designer and printing that from the Files app does give a properly accurate result.

Cheers!

 

[DM1]

On 9/18/2021 at 4:36 AM, Mtl_Biker said:

Is it even possible to "use a printer app for your specific printer" from within Designer? 

Yes. Tap print in Designer’s Document menu. When the view screen opens, zoom in on first page to open full screen viewer (two finger spread). Now you can access the Share sheet in top right corner. Scroll down and select your printers dedicated iOS app. Tap that and you should now have access to more of your printers settings.

[DM1]

Definitely a scaling issue within Designer. Two printouts shown below. One using the Document Menu print option and the other using the Export print option. The document is A4 using the Designer New Document Print option to give A4. Transform Studio confirms 210x297mm.

Doc printed from Export menu print is 210x297mm

Same Doc printed using Document menu print is 102x152mm

 

[SPaceBar]

I downloaded the Canon app yesterday so I could find out what error I was getting with my A3 borderless Canon printer. Having a printer without a display made it impossible to rely on the Apple Print Centre. 

Using my 4 x 6 inch document I have printed on 4 x 6 inch paper in the following ways:

1. Designer iPad > Print > Locate printer
   - Scales up as it attempts to print borderless - this issue has been logged already (see image below)
2. Designer iPad > Export > Share > Canon app > Next > Print
   - Scales down, adding a border. The app doesn't have any borderless options (See image below)

I also tried the option that @walt.farrell mentioned, where I set up an A4 document and placed my 4 x 6 inch document in the centre. I printed this from the Designer app and it printed accurately. When I exported this as a PDF and and printed if from Files it was also accurate.

@Mtl_Biker What paper size are you printing to and are you using method 1 above to print your documents?